Archive for February 24, 2014

After a brutal Winter, which isn’t over for some of the country, my mind has wandered to cruising. I’m dreaming of a tropical locale with palm trees and “cabana boys” to bring my Konk Koolers. That can only mean I am at Castaway Cay on a fun filled Disney Cruise Line cruise.

One of the fun things to do on a Disney Cruise is to join a fish extender group and exchange gifts with your fellow cruisers. (If you don’t know about fish extenders click here to get the basics and then google it to get the specifics.)

Some people like to make their fish extender gifts but others just aren’t crafty or don’t have the time to make their gifts. So for today’s Merchandise Monday lets check out what Etsy.com has to offer.

To save energy on the ships, you have to put a card in the light switch slot. This would eliminate the need to use your stateroom key. Pretty handy.

These key fobs would be great for after the cruise. It would remind you everyday when you started your car about the fabulous vacation you had on the high seas.

Who doesn’t love a magnet?!?! Everytime you open the refrigerator door at home you will be reminded of all the yummy food you ate on the high seas.

These personalized candy stacks would be welcome in any fish extender pocket, to be sure.

Everyone needs a Grape Soda bottle cap pin from the movie Up. It is such a great reminder of a sweet romance.

The ideas for fish extender gifts is endless but hopefully this got your mental cruise juices flowing and gave you some fun ideas for your next cruise.

Since Disney bought Marvel, the superhero movies have been coming fast and furious. The latest is Guardians of the Galaxy and is scheduled to be in theaters on August 1st.

Check out the trailer:

Still not sure what the movie is about? IMDb.com explains it like this

In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan.

Guardians of the Galaxy will be a star-studded movie that includes Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, and Benicio Del Toro. Okay, so some will be starring only in voice only but in my book that is still starring in a movie.

And not only will the movie be star-studded but it looks action packed with humor on the side. Definitely going on my must see Summer movie list.

Today’s Merchandise Monday isn’t about any specific item but instead about an upcoming sales event at the Disney Store.

This notice just arrived in Disney Visa Cardmembers emails.

Sooooo, if you were waiting to buy a certain something from the Disney Store but were waiting for a sale, the time to buy is this week. When more details are available you can be sure they will be posted here. And who doesn’t love a sale.

If you aren’t a Disney Visa Cardmember, don’t worry. The sale should be available for the general public soon after the 12th.

During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney’s Bob Iger discussed the company’s strong first quarter results and gave much of the credit to Frozen. To date, Frozen has earned $865 million worldwide surpassing The Lion King as Walt Disney’s highest grossing animated movie and during the last three months of 2013, Frozen-themed merchandise were top sellers at Disney Stores. So, of course the company is looking for ways to capitalize on their newest franchise.

“There’s a lot of active development, on new iterations of “Frozen,” said Walt Disney Co. Chief Bob Iger. “You will see ‘Frozen’ in more places than you see today,” including as an adaptation for Broadway, sequels and integrations into its theme parks, videogames and other opportunities.

There are rumors swirling around the Disney community that a Frozen attraction will replace Maelstrom in the Norway pavilion at Epcot.

I know that some of my fellow Disney enthusiasts think it is sacrilege to not stay at a Walt Disney World Resort when they visit Disney World. And to a certain degree, I agree. But not everyone feels that way or it is not always possible to stay on Disney property when you visit the magic.

You might have a ton of loyalty points with Hilton rewards program. It might be during the holidays and you are unable to get a Disney hotel room. Or (now don’t faint here), you may be going to Universal Studios and Sea World. If that is the case then this news will be right up your alley. The Embassy Suites Orlando – Lake Buena Vista is going to be renovated next year.

The 334-room hotel was recently bought by an affiliate of Philadelphia-based GF Management. The new owner will maintain the Embassy Suites brand for the hotel and has slated a renovation of more than $13 million during the next year.

The company said it plans to maintain the Embassy Suites brand for the hotel, which is located at 8100 Lake St., about a mile from Disney property.

It is always nice to have a newly renovated hotel as a back up plan when you travel, don’t you think?